Strike, Resignation Cast Doubts on Khmer Rouge Tribunal

FILE - Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, court officers of the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal are seen through windows during a hearing of former Khmer Rouge top leaders in Phnom Penh.

A strike over unpaid wages and the resignation of the top international prosecutor are returning the spotlight to the troubles facing Cambodia's U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal. Many are wondering if the court will be able to finish trying those blamed for the country's genocide in the 1970s.

The Khmer Rouge regime is blamed for the deaths of nearly two million people during its four-year rule from 1975 to 1979.

At first, justice was delayed by Cambodia's nearly two decade-long civil war, which ended in the late 1990s. When peace returned, it took until 2006 before the United Nations and the government in Phnom Penh were able to open a joint tribunal.

But the court has been plagued by funding problems, as well as allegations of mismanagement and political interference.

However, evidence for use at the trials has been overwhelming. Youk Chhang, the director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, says he and his group have a mountain of documents detailing the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge and its leadership.

"So far I have collected over [a] million documents of evidence," he said. "I have maps of about 20,000 mass graves and each grave has over 1,000 bodies. I have maps of over 100 prisons, where each prison has between 10,000 to 15,000 prisoners who were killed and few survived. I have collected hundreds of thousands of photographs of victims of crimes of the leadership."

Despite the evidence, the court has handed down only one conviction in seven years, and the advanced age of the remaining defendants has cast doubt on the prospects of finishing the hearings while they are still alive or able to participate.

FILE - Former Khmer Rouge second-in-command Nuon Chea, former President Khieu Samphan and former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary (L-R) attend their trial at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Nov. 21, 2011.

x

FILE - Former Khmer Rouge second-in-command Nuon Chea, former President Khieu Samphan and former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary (L-R) attend their trial at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Nov. 21, 2011.

Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, both in their 80s, are the only senior Khmer Rouge leaders alive and considered fit to stand trial. They deny the charges against them. The group's leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998 and co-founder Leng Sary died earlier this year.

Former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as "Duch," was sentenced last year to life in prison for his role in killing more than 14,000 while running the Tuol Sleng torture and execution center in Phnom Penh.

Other cases involving younger, more junior members of the Khmer Rouge regime are still in the investigative stage and it is unclear if they will come to trial.

The problems with the court have led some observers to question whether there is enough political commitment to continue funding the court.

Open Society Justice Initiative executive director James Goldston says it would be a tragedy if the remaining cases are not completed.

“I think the work stoppages, which is what we are seeing at the court, are evidence of the extremity of the problem, and there is a need for donors and for the Cambodian government to face up to their responsibility, to finish what they started," Goldston said. "If ultimately funds are not secured to allow the existing Case 002 to be completed, or other cases which are in the investigation stage, to reach their judicial conclusion, that would be a profound failure."

This month, nearly 200 of the 250 staff members on the Cambodian side went on strike because of unpaid wages dating back to May.

“With two of the four defendants dead or out of commission, the [tribunal] has failed to do even half of the things the U.N. and their cheerleaders in the human rights industry promised," Maguire said. "Cambodia’s mixed tribunal will serve as a cautionary tale of how not to conduct a war crimes trial. The U.N. should shut up about further trials already; they need to finish trying the senile defendants and pack it up.”

The crisis has prompted U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to issue a statement saying "the very survival of the court is now in question," and "financial failure would be a tragedy for the people of Cambodia."

Youk Chhang says it is critical for the United Nations and Cambodia not to loose sight of the goal for the court.

"'I think it is important for the court to look at this mission as a mission for justice, a mission to bring about a process so that the people of Cambodia can use it as a foundation to move on," he said.

Even if the strike is ended and the court resumes its normal operations, its long term prospects will remain in question.

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

Video

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

Video

American warplanes joined Iraq's battle against the so-called 'Islamic State' in northern Iraq late Wednesday, as Iraqi ground troops launched a massive assault on Tikrit. Analysts say the offensive could take the coalition a step further towards Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State forces. Others say it could also deepen already-dangerous sectarian tensions in the region. VOA's Heather Murdock has more from Cairo.

Video

Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines. Close to five million foreign visitors traveled there last year, perhaps lured by the country’s tropical beaches. But Jason Strother reports from Manila that the country hopes to entice more travelers to stay indoors and spend money inside new casinos.

Video

The continued fighting in eastern Ukraine and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the separatist fighters. Many of the new recruits are residents of Ukraine made bitter by new grievances, as well as old. VOA's Patrick Wells reports.

Video

Islamic State fighter, a prisoner of Kurdish YPG forces, asked his family asking for forgiveness: "I destroyed myself and I destroyed them along with me." The Syrian youth was one of two detainees who spoke to VOA’s Kurdish Service about the path they chose; their names have been changed and identifying details obscured. VOA's Zana Omer reports.

Video

More is being discovered about the co-pilot in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps. Investigators say he was hiding a medical condition, raising questions about the mental qualifications of pilots. VOA's Carolyn Presutti reports.

Video

In cities with heavily congested traffic, people can get around much faster on a motorcycle than in a car. But a rider who is not sure of his route may have to stop to look at the map or consult a GPS. A Russian start-up company is working to make navigation easier for motorcyclists. Designers at Moscow-based LiveMap are developing a smart helmet with a built-in navigation system, head-mounted display and voice recognition. Zlatica Hoke has more.

Video

U.S. federal law enforcement agents arrested two suburban Chicago men accused of trying to join ISIS overseas, while also plotting attacks in the United States. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from the Midwest state of Illinois, one of those arrested is a soldier of the Illinois National Guard.

Video

Traditional push-rim wheelchairs create a lot of stress for arm, shoulder and neck muscles and joints. A redesigned chair, based on readily available bicycle technology, radically increases mobility while reducing the physical effort. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Beatrice Yardolo was to make history as Liberia’s last Ebola patient. Liberians recently started counting down 42 days, the period that has to go by without a single new infection until the World Health Organization can declare a country Ebola-free. That countdown stopped on March 20 when there was another new case of Ebola, making Yardolo’s story a reminder that Ebola is far from over. Benno Muchler reports from Monrovia.

Video

Indigenous communities in Cambodia's Ratanakiri province say the government’s economic land concession policy is taking away their land and traditional way of life, making many fear that their identity will soon be lost. Local authorities, though, have denied this is the case. VOA's Say Mony went to investigate and filed this report, narrated by Colin Lovett.

Video

One of the films that drew big crowds last week at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tells the story of the last human being to stand on the moon, U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan. It has been 42 years since Cernan returned from the moon and he laments that no one else has gone there since. VOA’s Greg Flakus reports.